The 2018-2019 Season at Keegan

The Keegan Theatre is proud to announce its 2018-2019 season, featuring a diverse blend of plays and musicals, including 2 Regional Premieres, 2 DC Premieres, and 2 new Keegan PLAY-RAH-KA productions for young people and families. READ/DOWNLOAD FULL SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT PRESS RELEASE

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September 2018

LINCOLNESQUE

by John Strand

directed by Colin Smith

Leo has more on his plate than he can handle. He is a speechwriter for an endangered mediocre Congressman, in the final month before a do-or-die mid-term election. His new boss Carla is a dominating message maven who has been brought in from the corporate world to try and save the campaign. And his brother Francis is a psychiatric outpatient recently released from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, despite having a powerful delusion that he is Abraham Lincoln. Desperate for inspiration, Leo turns to Francis for help writing “lincolnesque” speeches, hoping that Lincoln’s transformative oratory will revive his boss’s career.

An audience favorite when Keegan first produced it in 2009, LINCOLNESQUE is at turns hilarious and heartwarming, an insightful, whip-smart exploration of where we find our hope, and the power of language to both divide and unite.

“A mischievous play … [that] easily entertains a plugged-in Beltway crowd, something that theater in the nation’s capital still doesn’t do nearly often enough” – The Washington Post

“Fiendishly clever and soberingly serious, LINCOLNESQUE is the most entertaining civics lesson you are likely to encounter.” – The Palm Beach Post

November 2018

AS YOU LIKE IT

adapted by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery
music and lyrics by Shaina Taub

directed by Cara Gabriel and Josh Sticklin

** DC PREMIERE **

Named one of The New York Times’ best shows of 2017, AS YOU LIKE IT is an immersive dream-like tale of faithful friends, feuding families and lovers in disguise. Forced from their homes, Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia, escape to the Forest of Arden, a fantastical place of transformation, where all are welcomed and embraced. Lost amidst the trees, the refugees find community and acceptance under the stars.

“This AS YOU LIKE IT offers a utopian vision of a society that favors acceptance over division, honesty over obfuscation, grace over meanness.” – The New York Times

“… an overflowing cornucopia of song, dance, joy, and love. …this AS YOU LIKE IT coasts along the surface of Shakespeare’s original, but exploring themes of love and acceptance more deeply through songs that reassert the message.” – Theater Pizzazz

December 2018

AN IRISH CAROL

by Matthew J. Keenan

directed by Mark A. Rhea

** KEEGAN’S OWN HOLIDAY TRADITION:
AN ORIGINAL WORK **

Set in a modern Dublin pub, AN IRISH CAROL is an homage to Dickens’ classic – told as only the Irish can. The play, both comic and touching, follows one evening in the life of David, a wealthy pub owner who has lost touch with his own humanity in the interest of self-protection and material success. But on this Christmas Eve – challenged by a voice from the past, provoked by those in this present, and faced with the reality of a lonely future – David’s life may change forever. An original work by Keegan company member Matthew Keenan.

“Trust the Irish to put a bit of grain in the eggnog. AN IRISH CAROL is sweet and cheerfully profane …” – The Washington Post

December 2018

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER

by Kristin Walter

directed by Alexis J. Hartwick

** A KEEGAN PLAY-RAH-KA PRODUCTION FOR FAMILIES **

Eric, the lone shoemaker of Grimmsville, makes shoes that are miserably uncomfortable and impossible to walk in… leaving a lot of barefoot villagers and Eric without a means to provide for his family. While alone in the woods, his daughter Shannon is confronted by a stranger who offers her the deal of a lifetime: In exchange for her torturous pair of shoes, she is given a magical medallion that holds the charm of the elves. Wanting to help her family, Shannon tries the chant. Her words beckon a pair of elves that show up night after night at the shoemaker’s home creating the most fabulous shoes EVER! With his shoes now wanted throughout the land, Eric and his family have more gold than they can count. But they quickly begin to realize that all the money in the world doesn’t necessarily buy happiness.

“The script by Kristin Walter is a joy; true to the original story, but with enough clever asides to keep the parents in the audience laughing along with the kids.” – nytheatre.com

January 2019

THE BALTIMORE WALTZ

by Paula Vogel

directed by Susan Marie Rhea

When Anna, an unmarried schoolteacher, is diagnosed with ATD, Acquired Toilet Disease, a fatal new malady with a high risk factor for elementary school teachers, she and her brother Carl take flight to Europe. Anna decides she wants to drown herself in the sensuality of food and sex, while Carl becomes involved in a wild Third Mannish espionage scheme to find a cure for his sister on the Continent. But something is not quite right with the scenario, and the largest hint is dropped when Anna shows slides of their trip to Europe where each frame looks exactly like Baltimore …

1992 Obie Award Winner!

March 2019

HANDS ON A HARDBODY

book by Doug Wright
music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green
lyrics by Amanda Green

directed by Mark A. Rhea

** REGIONAL PREMIERE **

For 10 hard-luck Texans, a new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end, armed with nothing but hope, humor and ambition, they’ll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. In the hilarious, hard-fought contest that is HANDS ON A HARDBODY, only one winner can drive away with the American Dream.

Inspired by the true events of the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name by S.R. Bindler, produced by Kevin Morris and Bindler.

“You can hear the sound of America singing in this daring new musical.” – The New York Times

May 2019

GOD OF CARNAGE

by Yasmina Reza

directed by Shirley Serotsky

A playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters.

2009 Tony Award Winner!

“GOD OF CARNAGE delivers the cathartic release of watching other people’s marriages go boom. A study in the tension between civilized surface and savage instinct, this play is itself a satisfyingly primitive entertainment with an intellectual veneer.” – The New York Times

May 2019

THE RELUCTANT DRAGON

by Mary Hall Surface

directed by Ricky Drummond

** A KEEGAN PLAY-RAH-KA PRODUCTION FOR FAMILIES **

The village of Guildermere blames the dragon who lives upon the downs for their dying crops and sour milk. But this dragon is a peace-loving, poetry-spouting fellow who would much prefer a cup of tea to a battle. When Saint George arrives, the dragon and his young friend, Glaston, face quite a challenge indeed. A charming tale of an unlikely friendship, this play for young people and families embraces the dramatic power of what happens when misunderstanding escalates into prejudice and violence.

“This revamped retelling is a treat for children of all ages. …the overall message of this show is one of tolerance and acceptance, friendship and loyalty, and the importance of staying true to your heart.“ – MD Theatre Guide

June 2019

RIPCORD

by David Lindsay-Abaire

directed by Megan Thrift

** REGIONAL PREMIERE **

A sunny room on an upper floor is prime real estate in the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility, so when the cantankerous Abby is forced to share her quarters with new-arrival Marilyn, she has no choice but to get rid of the infuriatingly chipper woman by any means necessary. A seemingly harmless bet between the old women quickly escalates into a dangerous game of one-upmanship that reveals not just the tenacity of these worthy opponents, but also deeper truths that each would rather remain hidden.

“When the play gets serious, it’s genuinely moving. Beyond the high jinks, RIPCORD offers a compelling look at the pleasure of a challenge and the challenge of finding pleasure.” – Time Out (New York)

August 2019

LEGALLY BLONDE

music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin
book by Heather Hach

directed by Michael Bobbitt

** DC PREMIERE **

Elle Woods appears to have it all, but her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle geniously charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors and her ex. With the support of some new friends, though, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.

“LEGALLY BLONDE [is a] nonstop sugar rush of a show … which insists that a girl can be a powder puff and a power broker at the same time.” – The New York Times

PLUS…

… cabarets, staged readings, and other special events as part of Keegan’s initiative for new works and unique performances: the Boiler Room Series! Stay tuned for announcements. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOILER ROOM SERIES